Air conditioning system



Dec. 27, 1938.

Filed Nov. 12, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l /6 H a fi \Y 1o 4 N H two; 82 24 gW 14 i as 2" 0 /6 a Fig, l

INVENTOR. AD/EL Y DODGE BY ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 27, 1938. A. Y. DODGE 2,141,855

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FiledNov. 12, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.AD/EL Y DODGE /7ZC a ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNMED STATES 5Claims.

This invention relates to air conditioning systems and more particularlyto cooling and dehumidifying systems.

The invention may be applied to dwelling houses or office or factorybuildings and preferably utilizes the usual water supply to effectcooling and dehumidification, although this may be augmented or replacedif desired by refrigeration.

In nature precipitation of moisture from air is caused by temperatureand pressure changes accompanied by atmospheric disturbance and onceprecipitation is started it encourages more precipitation.

According to the present invention these conditions are similated in asingle unit which will produce changes in temperature and pressure aswell as disturbance of the air. The effect may be increased further byspraying water through the air to encourage precipitation of moisturetherefrom.

A unit embodying the invention may include a centrifugal fan or blowerto circulate the air and to effect pressure change and disturbancethereof. The blower is preferably encased in a spiral cooled casing sothat the air will be subjected to centrifugal force during its entiremovement through the casing and will be cooled thereby. Since heavierthan dry air they will be thrown out against the cooled spiral surfaceto condense the moisture in the air. In order to increase theprecipitation or condensation water may be sprayed out through theblower shaft into the stream of air. Such sprayed water as well as thecondensate is collected on the spiral wall and removed through anysuitable drain.

According to another feature of the invention a radiator unit may beprovided in the blower inlet and connected to the jacketed wall portionof the blower to receive water or other heat transfer medium therefrom.Where water is employed the radiator unit is preferably con nected to adischarge pipe terminating adjacent the roof of the building to spraywater thereover.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention includingnovel subcomblnations and desirable particular constructions will beapparent from the following description of the embodiment illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a. building provided with an airconditioning system embodylng the invention;

water vapor and moist air are both Figure 2 is a central section of theair conditioning unit shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a section on the line III-J11 of Figure 2.

The building illustrated in Figure 1 includes side walls l, a roof itand a floor 8 lying below the ground surface to form a basement. Aplurality of horizontal floors H) are provided to divide the buildinginto a plurality of stories, the lower floor l0 forming a ceiling forthe basement and separating the basement from the remainder of thebuilding.

As shown, a hot air heating furnace l2 of a conventional type isprovided in the basement and is connected to the various rooms of thebuilding by means of a duct system indicated generally at it. Air fromthe building returns to the basement through a series of registers It,the lowermost of which may communicate directly with the basement spaceor with the furnace through a pipe 98, depending on the setting ofdampers 20.

Air is cooled and circulated through the building by means of a novelcentrifugal blower 22 driven by a motor 2% and having its outletconnected to the furnace l2 by a pipe 26. The blower inlet opens intothe basement space and is preferably provided witha radiator unit 28through which cooling medium is circulated to precool air entering theblower. When water is used as the cooling medium the radiator unit ispreferably connected to a discharge pipe 30 which terminates adjacentthe roof 6 to spray water thereover. If desired, the pipe 30 may beprovided with a tap for connection to a sprinkler or the like asindicated at 32.

The blower and radiator unit are illustrated in detail in Figures 2 and3, from which it will be seen that the blower is provided with a centralshaft 34 driven by the motor 24 and carrying an impeller member 38formed with a plurality of spaced generally radial blades. A spiraljacketed .wall 38 surrounds the impeller member 36 and is shown asmaking two complete turns,

although it could be formed to make more or 45 less turns as desired.The wall 38 provides'a tangential outlet 40 which is connected to thepipe 26 and anlnlet cone 42 is provided connecting the blower inlet tothe radiator unit 28. The radiator unit as shown includes a pair ofspaced headers N connected by a. plurality of tubes or the like 46, theupper header being connected to the discharge pipe 30.

A suitable cooling medium, preferably water from the usual supplysource, is supplied through a pipe 48 which is connected to the innerend of the spiral wall 38 and flows outwardly therethrough to cool thewall and.consequently the air circulated by the blower. Water from theouter end of the jacketed wall may be conducted by a pipe 58 to thelower header 44 from which it will flow through the pipes 46 and upperheader 44 to the discharge pipe 30.

According to a further feature of the invention, the shaft 34 is drilledto provide a plurality of radial spray openings 52 to which water issupplied through a slip ring 54 connected to the pipe 48 by a branchpipe 56. Water sprayed out through the openings 52 passes through theair circulated by the blower to cool the air and to facilitatecondensation of moisture carried thereby, this efiect being increased bycontact of the air with the cooled wall 38. The spray water andcondensate will be thrown out against the wall 38 and will be collectedbetween said wall and baffles 58 secured thereto. The water collectedbehind the baiiies 58 is conducted away by drain pipes 60 opening into atrap 62 to prevent blowing of air through the drain pipes and from thetrap is carried off by a suitable drain 84. The drain 64 is preferablyconnected to the inlet cone 42 by a pipe 68 so that any moisturecondensed in the radiator unit will also be carried off.

. The system as described takes in air from the basement, thereby takingadvantage of the natural cooling effectof the basement, and subsequentlycools and dehumidifies the air by passing it through the radiator unitand over the wall 38 and by spraying water therethrough from theopenings 52. After being cooled the air is positively circulated throughthe building through the usual ducts provided for hot air heating, freshair being added to the recirculated air in any desired manner.

In case it is desired to increase the humidity of the air the spraycould be operated without circulating any cooling medium through thewall 88 or the radiator unit, or medium could be circulatedtherethrough.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribedit will be understood that many changes might be made thereinand it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the formshown or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioning system for a building having a basement and asystem of ducts con if desired a heating necting the basement to pointswithin the building comprising a centrifugal blower in the basementhaving an inlet opening communicating therewith, and an outlet openingcommunicating with said duct system, means for circulating water in heattransferring relationship to the blower walls, a radiator unit connectedto receive water from said means and lying in the blower inlet, and adischarge pipe connected to said unit to spray water over the roof ofthe building.

2. An air conditioning system for a building having a basement, a ductsystem for conducting air from the basement to a point within thebuilding and a return system for conducting air from the building to thebasement comprising a centrifugal blower in the basement having anoutlet connected to said duct system and an inlet arranged to receiveair entering the basement through the return system, a portion of thewalls of said blower being jacketed for circulation of water, means forspraying water through said blower, a radiator unit in the blower inletconnected to said jacketed portion to receive water therefrom, and adischarge pipe connected to said unit and terminating adjacent the roofof the building to discharge water thereon.

. 3. In an'air conditioning system, a centrifugal blower having a spiraljacketed wall portion for circulation of a cooling liquid, a rotor insaid casing to circulate air in contact with said wall portion, and aradiator unit in the blower inlet and connected to said jacketed portionto receive cooling liquid therefrom.

4. In an air conditioning system, a centrifugal blower having .a. rotarydriving shaft and a jacketed wall portion for the circulation of a heattransfer medium, means for spraying water through said driving shaft andthrough air circulated by the blower, and a radiator unit in the blowerinlet connected to said jacketed portion to receive heat transfer mediumtherefrom.

5. In an air conditioning system, a centrifugal blower having a rotarydriving shaft and a spiral jacketed wall portion for the circulation ofa heat transfer medium, means for spraying water through said drivingshaft and through air circulated by the blower, means connected to saidspiral wall portion to. collect and remove from the blower said sprayedwater and condensate from the air, and a radiator unit in the blowerinlet connected to said jacketed portion to receive heat transfer mediumtherefrom.

ADIEL Y. DODGE.

